Email Etiquette

3.1.5

Section 3 — School Policies

Email Etiquette

Effective communication is one of the most valuable skills you will build at CPA. Learning to write a clear, specific, professional email is something you will use your entire life.

The most important rule: be specific

Vague emails waste everyone's time — yours and your teacher's. Compare these two students:

Student 1 (many emails) Student 2 (one email)
"I need help." "I need help with the formula on page 4 of lesson 3.1.2 in my Algebra class."
"With my class." Teacher responds with the exact answer in one email.
"Algebra." Student gets help the same day.
"Unit 1." → "3.1.2." → "Page 4" → "The formula"  
6 emails over 3 days to get help with one formula  

Teacher policy on vague emails

If your email does not include enough detail, your teacher's response will be: "More Information Needed." They will not try to guess what you mean — they will wait until you provide the specifics.

What every email should include

  1. A subject line — 2 to 5 words summarizing what the email is about
  2. A greeting — "Hello, [Teacher's name]"
  3. Get to the point quickly and include all relevant details (course, ULA number, page, specific question)
  4. A closing — "Thank you" or similar
  5. Your full name

Response time expectations

  • Teachers respond to emails within 24 hours on school days
  • Do not expect a response within 20 minutes — teachers are not reading email continuously
  • You must respond to your teacher's emails within 24 hours

The 10 Commandments of Email at CPA

CPA has a tradition of connecting faith and communication. Here are ten principles — grounded in Scripture — for email at this school:

  1. Love your Lord... and with all your email. Everything we do — including how we communicate — should be done in love toward God and others.
  2. Email unto others as you'd have them email unto you. Nobody wants a rude or confusing email.
  3. Be kind when emailing. If an email feels harsh, read it again two degrees more charitably before you react.
  4. Don't escalate by email. If a situation is emotional, pick up the phone. Tone is very hard to read in text.
  5. Nothing is hidden in an email. There is no such thing as a truly private email. Only write what you would be comfortable saying publicly.
  6. Use BCC when emailing groups. Protect other people's email addresses.
  7. Work at emailing as for the Lord, not for men. Put in the effort to communicate clearly as an act of integrity.
  8. No obscenity or coarse joking. Keep it simple and professional.
  9. Use subject lines. A subject line tells the recipient what the email is about before they open it.
  10. Once sent, it is written. You stand by everything you send. If you are not sure you would stand by it in every situation — do not send it.